Synopses & Reviews
Beginning in 1866 and continuing for over a century, more than eight thousand people suspected of having leprosy were forcibly exiled to the Hawaiian island of Molokai the longest and deadliest instance of medical segregation in American history. Torn from their homes and families, these men, women, and children were loaded into shipboard cattle stalls and abandoned in a lawless place where brutality held sway. Many did not have leprosy, and many who did were not contagious, yet all were ensnared in a shared nightmare.
Here, for the first time, John Tayman reveals the complete history of the Molokai settlement and its unforgettable inhabitants. It's an epic of ruthless manhunts, thrilling escapes, bizarre medical experiments, and tragic, irreversible error. Carefully researched and masterfully told, The Colony is a searing tale of individual bravery and extraordinary survival, and stands as a testament to the power of faith, compassion, and the human spirit.
Review
"[A] gripping history....Tayman's crisp, flowing writing and inclusion of personal stories and details make this an utterly engrossing look at a heartbreaking chapter in Hawaiian history." Booklist (Starred Review)
Review
"[Tayman] hauntingly depicts the devastation of an ill-understood disease and helps demystify its victims....Rigorous, tenacious research uncovers a grim story of human suffering." Kirkus Reviews
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"Drawing on eight thousand pages of documents, Tayman reconstructs a fascinating history of the settlement, which officially lasted until 1969." New Yorker
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"Tayman's noble account makes you want to stand and applaud." Mary Roach, The New York Times Book Review
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"A fascinating book about disease and the startling responses to it, ranging from terror to love." Paul Theroux
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"The front end of this book is meticulously researched and footnoted...Tayman's story does come alive." Seattle Times
Synopsis
A history of America's leper colony shares the story of how its residents endeavored to create a community under horrific circumstances, describing how more than eight thousand resource-limited victims were subjected to cruel medical experiments and the criminal activities of fellow exiles. Reprint. 60,000 first printing.
Synopsis
In the bestselling tradition of In the Heart of the Sea, The Colony, "an impressively researched" (Rocky Mountain News) account of the history of America's only leper colony located on the Hawaiian island of Molokai, is "an utterly engrossing look at a heartbreaking chapter" (Booklist) in American history and a moving tale of the extraordinary people who endured it.
Beginning in 1866 and continuing for over a century, more than eight thousand people suspected of having leprosy were forcibly exiled to the Hawaiian island of Molokai -- the longest and deadliest instance of medical segregation in American history. Torn from their homes and families, these men, women, and children were loaded into shipboard cattle stalls and abandoned in a lawless place where brutality held sway. Many did not have leprosy, and many who did were not contagious, yet all were ensnared in a shared nightmare.
Here, for the first time, John Tayman reveals the complete history of the Molokai settlement and its unforgettable inhabitants. It's an epic of ruthless manhunts, thrilling escapes, bizarre medical experiments, and tragic, irreversible error. Carefully researched and masterfully told, The Colony is a searing tale of individual bravery and extraordinary survival, and stands as a testament to the power of faith, compassion, and the human spirit.
About the Author
John Tayman is editor at large of Men's Health. The former deputy editor of Outside magazine, he is an award-winning editor and writer, and has served as executive editor of New England Monthly, editor at large of Men's Journal, and contributing editor to Life, GQ, People, Business 2.0, and other publications. He lives in Northern Califo
Table of Contents
Contents
Preface
Part I Run (Population 1,143)
Scattered Seeds (Population 0)
Almost-Island (Population 0)
"A Kind of Colony" (Population 13)
Order (Population 106)
Ready to Believe (Population 214)
A Far Different Position (Population 385)
Part II Rush Slowly (Population 749)
"Be Ambitious and Bold" (Population 742)
Escape (Population 673)
The Likes of Us (Population 824)
Strange Objects (Population 632)
Human Soil (Population 680)
"A Strange Place to Be In" (Population 1,144)
Part III Kindred Dust (Population 1,123)
Civic Duty (Population 857)
Good Breeze (Population 810)
A Terrible Mistake (Population 791)
All a Man Holds Dear (Population 510)
Olivia (Population 459)
Part IV Attack (Population 349)
Like a Pebble Thrown (Population 312)
Makia (Population 290)
When You Start to Make a Fist (Population 243)
Stand Up Straight (Population 174)
Orientation (Population 146)
Softer Notes (Population 116)
A Long Road (Population 74)
Stay (Population 28)
Notes
Selected Bibliography
Photo Credits
Acknowledgments
Index